LEGEND OF THE MAGDALENE

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himself, leaving his kingdom to his son." Its present form was arranged about the beginning of our era, but it is really much earlier. Siva and Buddha are equally revered in it, and it is shown that both Brahman and Buddhist regarded a "courtesan" in much the same way as a "concubine" of Hebrew antiquity. Vasantasena may be 66 a courtesan" and at the same time "the devoted worshipper of Buddha."

My belief is that in the narrative of Jesus and the woman arrested for adultery, the words "sin no more have been added; for though he said, "Neither do I condemn thee," the words seem to be recalled when he does condemn her for sin. At any rate, there is not the slightest reproach by Jesus of the woman of Samaria, and Edmond Rostand in "La Samaritaine" has had to invest her with the legend of the Magdalene. The moral system in both India and Judea was built upon the priestly system; it was unreal and unjust so far as the moral sentiment of simple humanity was concerned; and a very great thinker might naturally disregard such sacramental arrangements just as George Fox and the Quakers did, who preferred having their marriages called illegitimate rather than be married by priests.

In France the Buddhist legend was cleverly taken by Armand Silvestre to disguise a romance between Jesus and the Magdalene. In the tragedy of "Izeyl" Sarah Bernhardt appeared to me to exceed all of her other impersonations, except her "La Samaritaine." The heroine, with a Magdalene make-up, seeks to fascinate Siddartha (a Christ-like make-up); she is converted, becomes a penitent devotee, and bestows her wealth on the poor. But Siddartha (Buddha) conceives a passionate love for her, - as she has for him, and it is Izeyl who with a

breaking heart and at cost of her life keeps him true to his great "cause," which he is willing to desert for her sake.

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The most noted event in the career of Ambapâli as a courtesan was that she was for a time the mistress of Bimbisara, the renowned king of Magadha. The Talmud says that Miriam of Magdala derived this title from an ancient city which was destroyed because of its licentiousness. The king of Magadha is described in the Kah-Gyur always longing after strange women," and among his intrigues one resembles that of David with Bathsheba (though the husband is not slain), the result being the birth of the great Scientific (Solomonic ?) Javaka, who healed Buddha. The king of Magadha's son by Ambapâli was Prince Abhaye (the Fearless). Is this "Magadha" the origin of the title which found its way to the lady in Jerusalem? It is always to be borne in mind that there is nothing in the New Testament suggesting that she had ever been immoral and there was no legend of that kind during the first two centuries of our era.

Although there is no indication that Ambapâli became a Buddhist devotee, the king of Magadha, Bimbisara, with whom she was associated, was converted, and he established great Buddhist festivals in his kingdom, of which Gaya was a part. At these festivals — as shown in the Kah-Gyur-Buddhist " Mysteries" were performed, and it can hardly be doubted that the famous mistress of the king ("Amrapâli," in Magadha), who made the magnificent donation to Buddha, was a figure in those dramas. When these dramas, acted everywhere, were succeeded by Christian "Mysteries," the rôle of the wealthy courtesan who endowed Buddha might easily pass to the wealthy lady of Jerusalem who "administered to him [Jesus, in some versions to them '] of her property."

STORY OF BRAHMADATTA

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In the ancient "Mystery" of "Mary Magdalene" she has inherited the "Castle of Maudleyn." Her beauty and splendour are such that Satan covets them for his own realm and summons a council to devise her seduction. This corresponds to the assembly of Vaiśālī which demanded the presence of Amrapâli. "When the perfection of her youth and beauty were seen," they cried, "This is a pearl of a woman, and therefore she belongs to the enjoyments of the people." In the Christian "Mystery' Satan employs the seven Capital Sins to besiege Mary Magdalene, and this way our English translators were tempted to the falsehood of importing the word "devils" into Luke viii, 2.

There is another interesting story connected with Benares which Mr. R. C. Childers gave me, saying that it was traceable to the sixth century before our era.

There was once a king of Benares named Brahmadatta, whose righteous administration of justice put an end to litigation in his kingdom, and left him time to turn his attention to his own faults, with a view to their correction. He accordingly questioned first his own retinue, then the public officials, then the citizens of Benares, then the suburban inhabitants, and lastly, mounting his chariot, he drove through the length and breadth of the land, begging all whom he met to tell him his faults. But all with one accord told him only of his virtues, and he was returning baffled from his expedition, when in a narrow defile his chariot met that of Mallika, King of Kosala, who was bound on a precisely similar mission. It at once became evident that one of the chariots must make way for the other, and the charioteers of the rival monarchs commenced a dispute for the precedence, which seemed hopeless when it was ascertained that neither could claim any advantage over the other in age, wealth, fame, or military power. At length, however, it was decided that the more virtuous should have the precedence; and the

charioteer of King Mallika, challenged to describe the virtues of his royal master, replies as follows: "King Mallika overthrows the strong by strength, the mild by mildness; good he overcomes with good, and evil with evil." The other charioteer said, "If these are his virtues, what are his faults?" Then he said of his own master, "With meekness he conquers anger, he overcomes evil with good, he disarms avarice with liberality, and the liar with truth." Hearing this, Mallika and his charioteer alight, and their chariot is drawn aside.

CHAPTER XIII

Delhi palaces - Pillar of Asôka—The Minar Pillar - Purana KeelaThe Taj at Agra - Akbar - The Parliament of Religions - Oriental ethics-The Jehanara mosque.

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T last I am in Delhi,- cemetery of splendours. Amid its silent palaces the fables of Saadi are written in stone, and their morals pointed in minarets. The legendary Hall of Afrasiab, where the spider weaves his web, the pleasure-dome of Mahmoud, of which not one stone was left upon another, rise as thin air over fields strewn with fine fragments. On the marble vacancy where the Peacock throne once stood-solid gold, inlaid with gems -is invisibly set the inscription of Ferideen's portico, "The world, O my brother, continues not to any one; place your affections on the Creator of the universe, and that will suffice. Make no reliance, neither rest upon the kingdom of this world, seeing how many like thyself it hath nourished and killed. When the soul is about to depart, what is difference between expiring on a throne or on the bare ground?"

My guide supposed that my object in coming to Delhi was to see the locality of the siege of 1857 and its memorial monument, "110 feet high, built at a cost of 20,000 rupees." It was with difficulty that I made him understand my slight interest in that little affair, and my deep feeling about the neighbouring Pillar of Asôka, which still publishes its edicts of peace and good will to men. This guide (Hindu) told me with some feeling that the British guns had broken this Pillar of Asôka into five fragments.